Somebody to die for
by Camille22
Summary: Snow and Emma are going to save Henry. But just one of them will come back to home with him.
1. Somebody to die for

**Well, hi to everyone. I've had this story saved here and I didn't know if I should update it or not, but now that I have just one fic, I knew I could update it. It's just a little story, it's going to have three parts. And this one it's the most painful, I think. I didn't write yet the second part.**

**Inspired by the song _Somebody to die for._ - _Hurts._**

**Thanks to _Mere-Brennan_ for be my beta for this story!**

**_Warning:_ Character's death.**

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_I've got nothing left to live for,_

_Got no reason yet to die,_

_But when I'm standing in the gallows_

_I'll be staring at the sky._

The group had split up in order to cover more ground. David and Rumpel were together somewhere in the jungle, while Regina and Hook were inspecting around the ship. Snow and Emma, who had learned a lot about controlling her magic thanks to Regina, had decided to slide down to the other side of the jungle. All of them needed to find Henry and get out of there as soon as possible. If they had no sign of him within half an hour, they were to meet back in the boat to form a new plan.

Snow was concentrating. Her senses were in their maximum limits. She had already done this once before, trying to survive and running away from Regina's men. She could hear practically anything, while her hand sat on her bow, ready to shoot an arrow at any time. Emma was with her, like when they were in the Enchanted Forest. This was different from when she was running away from Regina's men because she was alone. In The Enchanted Forest, months ago, she was with her daughter trying to escape from dangers, trying to get back home. Now she was in a place she was completely unfamiliar with, with Emma by her side. She had to be very alert to _everything_.

A small crack was sounded behind her, and she turned quickly, raising her bow in one fluid motion. She let out a little sigh, seeing Emma's eyes wide and with her sword raised in her mother's direction. She lowered her gaze to her daughter's feet, sighting a branch below them.

Emma dropped her sword and sighed, "You scared the hell out of me!"

Snow dropped her bow, furrowing her brow. "Lower your voice, Emma!" She hissed as she turned around and continued to hear Emma's footsteps behind her. She rolled her eyes slightly, remembering that the same happened in the Enchanted Forest. Emma could never be very quiet, no matter how hard she tried. Something she seemed to have inherited from her father.

"There's nothing around here..." Emma whispered from behind her. Snow turned her head to the side, seeing that Emma was looking all around them. "I told you we should've gone to the other side. There are only trees here..." She trailed off.

Something was heard from afar, and Snow stopped quickly, reaching out a hand to stop Emma, as well. She knew beforehand that her daughter was going to ask why they stopped, so she took her arm and squeezed it slightly in warning. Emma remained silent as Snow tilted her head, trying to hear more clearly.

It was a small laugh. Snow frowned and looked around; where was the sound coming from?

Emma couldn't take it any longer, "What is it?"

"It's a laugh." She said in a small whisper. "I can hear it, but I can't tell where it's coming from."

"I – I can use my magic."

Snow quickly set her eyes on her. "Emma..."

A pair of blue eyes fixed on her, firmly. "If it's a laugh, it might be those damn kids who have my son."

Snow didn't want her daughter to use magic. She had agreed it was okay –not that Emma needed her approval– that Regina would teach her how to control her magic to prevent accidents. That still didn't mean she was used to the idea. Magic was dangerous, but this was a dangerous situation, and Snow could understand what Emma was feeling.

_Not knowing if your child is okay._

She nodded slightly, pulling her hand from her daughter's arm. Emma gave her a small smile before looking ahead and closing her eyes slowly. Snow kept her eyes trained on her, but also tried to look everywhere else in her peripherals, in case the lost boys or fairies noticed the magic that was being used near them. Hook and Rumpelstiltskin had warned them that in this land, magic could be detected.

Then again, Rumpelstiltskin said that Emma's magic was different, so he wasn't sure whether they would be able to detect it or not. True Love's magic. There were times when she wished she could calm down about her daughter's magic and just accept it. Emma's magic was pure. She was the product of True Love. She wanted to believe that her baby's magic was different from all others.

Emma suddenly opened her eyes and raised her sword, "Over there." She pointed her sword at her right.

Side by side, they started walking slowly toward the laughter. Snow with an arrow already in her bow, and Emma with her sword raised. They walked for a few moments, until a small, flickering light was seen. Snow stepped ahead of Emma, trying to see more clearly what it was. It was a fire. They walked a few steps until they came to a tree and hid behind it, moving their heads to see what was in front of them. Before Snow could get a chance, Emma had already spotted her son.

Emma gasped. "Henry."

Of course, the first thing she wanted to do was to jump into action, but Snow held her arm tightly, holding her in place. She looked at her with cold eyes, but Snow stayed firm. They knew they couldn't speak, yet miraculously Emma could still reason with her. Snow nodded slightly and turned around again to see whom all were there.

There was a fire with four tree trunks surrounding it, and children sitting on them. Well, she could tell that they were teenagers, but still children. On each trunk were two boys with their swords strapped to their waists. All seemed to be various ages. She couldn't help but gasp at the sight of her grandson.

Henry was sitting on the sand, right next to the trunk further from them. Snow could see his wrists were tied, his legs bent close to his chest, and his scared eyes, but she could also see that he was trying to be as brave as possible. She wanted to smile at his bravery, but couldn't. Not until he was safely with them. Snow took a look around the perimeter again, seeing that neither Tamara nor Greg was close by.

The information that a good fairy had given them was correct. They handed Henry over to the lost children and decided to run to Peter Pan. She didn't care about them, all she could think about now was _how_ they were going to challenge eight children with swords. According to Hook, they were pretty good with a blade.

"Is it time now?!" Emma exclaimed, exasperated, but whispering.

Snow felt nervousness and a shot of adrenaline rushing through her veins. She turned to look at the lost children, and nodded slightly, pressing her lips in concentration. "As I let the arrow go, you go towards the right, okay?" She didn't hesitate to decide this; the children on the log to the right appeared to be the youngest. She couldn't believe she had to decide between their own lives and children's lives, but she had to. She would never kill any child, but if she had to hurt them to save her grandson, she would.

Snow raised her bow and saw Emma raise her sword in the corner of her eye. She swallowed hard and sighed. "Emma..."

"Yeah?"

It was probably not the best moment, but she felt she had to say it. She didn't want to think the worst, thinking that maybe she wouldn't make it. All she wanted was for her grandson and daughter to get away from here. She would do everything possible to make that so. She had to think realistically. "I love you."

Emma's voice was soon heard after. "I love you, too."

Snow let go of the arrow and it went flying towards the shoulder of the boy she was aiming for. The boy fell back in a scream; it was the boy that was next to Henry. Her grandson's eyes widened when he saw his mother climbing out of the jungle and heading straight for the two boys to the right. She ran quickly behind Emma, another arrow flying through the air, straight to a boy's leg.

The two boys who had been closer to Henry were already in the sand, screaming in pain. She raised her bow, but there was no time for her to nock another arrow when one boy took off straight towards her. She had no choice but to take her own sword off her waist and block his sword just in time.

"Henry!" Emma cried.

Snow shoved the boy hard over one of the trunks they had been sitting on. She looked around for her daughter and grandson. The two boys who were sitting on the right side were on the floor out cold; there was no blood. Emma tried to get to Henry, who was already standing, but two boys stood in her way, so she had started fighting them.

Snow set her attention back to the boy she had been fighting when he started to attack her again. When he was about to drive his sword into her stomach, she dodged it and sharply hit his head with the hilt of her sword, successfully knocking him out. There were five boys down, Emma was fighting one – Snow had just shot down another – which meant that one was missing.

"Noooo!" Henry shouted and Snow turned quickly, seeing a blond-haired boy taking him. Hook and Rumpelstiltskin had told them that the blonde one was the leader of the lost boys; Felix was his name.

Her hand was quick to grab an arrow and nock it. "Stay away from my grandson!" When Felix raised his eyes at the sound of her voice, she released the arrow, true to its target.

As the eldest boy fell to the sand screaming in pain from the arrow in his shoulder, Emma head-butted the boy with whom she was fighting. "Henry!" She cried out as she started running towards him.

"Mom!" He cried out as well, running toward her. Emma threw her sword aside when she was a few meters from Henry, and her arms quickly wrapped around her son. "You came... you came for me. I knew you would."

Snow moved to embrace them, happy that they were all okay. Felix had gotten up and was running toward them with his sword in his good hand, ready to go through Henry's back and Emma's chest.

"EMMA!" Snow shouted as loud as she could, unable to nock her arrow in time.

Emma raised her sight just when Felix was near them and pushed Henry aside. Emma just raised both of her hands and moved them forward, as a white light came from them. Snow squinted her eyes at the blinding light, which lasted just seconds. When the light disappeared, Snow could see clearly again.

Felix was gone. In fact, all of the boys had disappeared.

"Mom!" Henry cried out again, running back to his mother. Emma wrapped him in her arms again, as Snow ran to them quickly and wrapped her arms around them both, closing her eyes.

She thought about the last time she had held them both like this. Henry ran to Emma, and then both of them were in her arms. It was when she realized that she and Emma had made it home from The Enchanted Forest. Maybe she wasn't at home right now, but her daughter was there and her grandson was safe with them. Nothing else mattered now.

"Are you okay?" Emma asked her son, and Snow moved away from them, moving her gaze to Henry just as Emma was currently doing.

Henry nodded quickly. "They didn't hurt me. They said they couldn't." Snow quickly pulled a small dagger from her boot and cut the ropes that were binding his wrists. "You saved me." His gaze moved toward his grandmother, a smile appearing on his face. "Both of you!"

He moved toward them, this time his arms wrapping both of their bodies, being caught in the middle of them. Snow smiled with relief and pressed his body tighter into them, resting her chin on Emma's shoulder as she was clinging to her son.

"We always find each other. This wasn't going to be the exception." Snow whispered, a small smile on her face and with her eyes closed.

"I will _always_ save you, kid." Emma whispered.

Henry moved away from them, and _oh_ gods, how Snow was missing the sight of her grandson's smile. "I know." He said, shifting his gaze between them.

But their smiles quickly disappeared when a shadow flew above them, quickly taking hold of Henry's jacket and pulling him into the air with it. Henry screamed in horror as his hands began to move frantically, Snow and Emma slow to react due to shock.

"NO!" Emma quickly shouted, running toward Henry as fast as she could, and jumping up just in time to take his hand. The shadow wasn't giving up; it decided go further up, so Emma's feet began to leave the forest floor.

"No, no!" Snow cried in despair, seeing both her daughter and grandson were being taken away from her. She ran to them and took Emma's free hand, gaining strength from gods know where. "What do you want with him?!"

"Leave him alone! Take me instead!" Emma cried desperately. As Snow's eyes widened, she could no longer feel the ground under her feet.

"Emma!" She screamed, knowing that the shadow had more strength than them. "Do it!" She hated magic, she _really _hated it, but her daughter's magic was different and their lives were at stake. She knew it. "Emma, do it!"

Snow couldn't see her daughter's eyes close, but she knew that they did. Soon she began to feel like she was being lowered to the ground, until the sand was under her feet again. She held onto Emma's hand tighter, as Emma's feet were also in the sand, and Snow could see her eyes were still closed. She turned her gaze to the shadow and Henry; the shadow was trying to fly, it was really trying, but it couldn't.

Emma's magic was stronger.

When Henry's foot reached the sand and his hand slipped out of the shadow, Snow squeezed Emma's hand as Henry clung to her body. "You did it!"

Emma opened her eyes as the shadow was beginning to fly toward them. Emma moved Henry away from her and placed him behind herself, Snow quickly took Henry by his shoulders, taking him a few steps back because she knew what her daughter was going to do. Emma moved her hands to the shadow, and Snow closed her eyes expecting to see the blinding light. But nothing happened. She opened her eyes, seeing the shadow was getting closer to them.

"Emma?"

"I – I can't..." She murmured, her hands moving faster, but without success. The shadow was not going to her anymore; it was getting closer to Snow and Henry. "Wait, wait!" She jumped in front of Snow and Henry. "Why do you want him?"

The shadow bore its eyes on Emma, as if it was speaking to her. But it was Henry who spoke. "He wants a body for his shadow." He muttered, Emma didn't turn around, but Snow dropped her gaze to her grandson, remembering what Hook had said.

The shadow could talk only to children, through their minds.

"Why him?" Emma asked again.

Snow dropped her gaze to Henry's hair, tightening her grip on his shoulder in case the shadow would suddenly come to him. "He says I'm special. I am related to magic, but I don't want anything to do with it." The shadow continued to pierce its gaze through Emma. "I'm the Evil Queen's son, Rumpelstiltskin's grandson, the product of True Love's grandson, and the savior's son."

"I am the product of True Love! Take me! I never wanted magic, and yet, I have it! I am the Savior, I am the product of True Love! Take me!"

"Emma, don't!" Snow cried, knowing what that might mean. Hook had warned them, they couldn't touch the shadow. No adult could, if they did, they'd _die_.

"Take all my magic. You know I am more powerful than you!" Snow frowned slightly when she saw something like a small frown on the shadow's face. "Take all my magic and leave my son and mother alone."

Snow moved her eyes to the shadow, trying to think of another plan to get Henry away from here. There was no way that the shadow would decide to take Emma's offer. Peter Pan, this shadow, wanted Henry. He didn't want more magic... did he?

Snow felt the air leave her lungs when the shadow extended its hand to Emma. She knew exactly what her daughter was going to do. "Emma, NO!" When she moved Henry behind her and tried to take Emma's hand, or the shadow's, it was late. Emma didn't hesitate to take the shadow's hand. Her body began to shake like never before. "NO!"

She stared, shocked at how her daughter was trembling. Her pupils turning as white as her fair face. No, there was nothing she could do, but she had to do something. She went to stand next to Emma, but a small hand quickly took one of her hands, pulling her back. She moved her eyes back, seeing Henry's frightened look, his eyes filled with tears. He looked forward, to Emma.

"Emma!" Snow shouted desperately as Emma's body trembled more and more. "No, please!"

The shadow moved its hand away from Emma as Emma's knees fell to the sand, and then her whole body. Snow and Henry ran to kneel at her side. Snow moved her trembling hands to Emma's arms, to her face, touching her cheeks. Her eyes were closed and she was breathing… faintly. Snow could feel her whole body tremble.

"Emma, no, please..."

"Mom? Mom? Wake up! Please, wake up!" Henry began to say, shaking her, tears rolling down his chubby cheeks. "Mom!"

Emma's eyes opened slowly, her gaze moving toward Henry. "Henry..." A small smile crossed her face, as her hand rose weakly to his face. "You'll be safe now."

"No, you cannot... you can't!"

"It's – it's okay." Emma muttered as Snow was staring at them, shocked and with her hands trembling as never before.

This couldn't be happening. This shouldn't be happening. They were supposed to rescue Henry and get back to the ship. They were going to have to find a way back home, together. Emma was her baby; this couldn't be happening. They just got her back. No.

"No. No." Snow whispered again and again. "No, Emma... everything will be fine." Blue eyes met her green gaze, and she couldn't help bursting into tears. "You have to hold on, someone will find us, and… it's going to be okay." Snow whispered, pushing blonde locks from her face, gently. "Please, hold on."

Another small smile curved her lips. "Take care of him."

More tears started coming out from her eyes. She closed them for a moment and opened them quickly, shaking her head. "I'll do it, always, but you'll do it too. You can't do this, Emma Swan! We go back home together, do you understand?"

And then, finally, tears began to form in Emma's eyes, as she moved her free hand – her left one was clutched in Henry's fingers – to hers. Snow could see she was having a hard time breathing. "Do you – you remember when you and... Dad... talked about my... happy ending?"

Snow nodded slowly, not knowing if she still had a voice. "Yes... and you're going to have it."

"I already have it, Mom." Her gaze moved to Henry a few seconds, a small smile on her lips, and then her attention was back on her. "When I broke the curse and... I – I had my son with me, and... my parents. That's it. You three are my happy ending. Please, tell Dad... that."

Snow broke into fresh tears, shaking her head quickly and taking Emma's hand to her face. "Please, no... Don't go." She took a small breath and lowered her hand from her face, finding her daughter's eyes again. "You are our happy ending, Emma. Please. You're my happy ending, you can't – I just – I just got you back..."

"Mom? Please, I – you saved me. You're our savior, you can't... you can't die."

"I love you, Henry." Emma whispered.

Snow looked up to Henry, his face full of tears, his eyes scared like she's never seen. She lowered her gaze to Emma, whose gaze was on Henry. "We just found each other. Please hold on baby, you…"

Emma moved her gaze to her mother. "Please, take... care of him." Her breathing began to become increasingly slow. "Don't – don't worry," she tightened her grip on her hand. "We'll find each other again. And I'm fine... because I have everything I've ever wanted." She smiled slightly, and Snow took her hand to her lips, kissing it lightly. "My family."

Emma closed her eyes, while her strong grip on Henry and Snow's hands was gone. Snow's eyes moved quickly towards her daughter's chest, seeing that it was neither going up, nor down. She wasn't breathing. Snow opened her mouth in shock, feeling the tears coming down her cheeks faster.

Her daughter.

Her baby girl.

No.

"No... Mom? Emma?" Henry's broken voice began, and Snow lifted her gaze to him, feeling her heart breaking completely. "Mom? No. Please, wake up..." Snow closed her eyes and moved her face towards Emma's stomach, breaking into tears. "No, Grandma, she'll be fine... she has to be. Mom? Mom, wake up..." She began to feel Emma's body moving slightly. "No, no..."

She couldn't find the strength to lift her face. She was still clutching to her baby girl's hand, with her face buried in her stomach, hoping that this was a dream. This had to be a nightmare. This couldn't be happening. She had to protect her. She had to protect her baby. She always tried to protect her, but she never could. When she sent her through the wardrobe into another world, she protected her from Regina, but her baby was sent alone to other dangers, perhaps worse. And now... now she couldn't protect her. She couldn't save her.

This time her baby was gone... forever.

"No, leave me alone, let me go!" Snow quickly lifted her face, seeing that the shadow was taking Henry again. He was struggling in its grip, but it was to no avail. "You killed her! You killed my mom! Let me go!"

Her whole body was shaking. Her gaze was awkwardly fixed on Emma's face. It was very peaceful... her eyes closed, there was no smile on her lips, but she looked content. Her hand was still on hers. She didn't want to let her go. She could not let her go.

"Mom! Mom! Grandma!"

Snow's heart broke again. He was waiting for his mother to get up and save him again. But no... she wasn't here. Not anymore. She wasn't going to save him this time. But he remembered that his grandmother was here, and she had to save him. He was her grandson.

_"Take care of him."_

"I love you, baby girl," Snow whispered, bringing her face to Emma's. "Mama loves you." She kissed her cheek softly and closed her eyes tightly, feeling all her strength leave her body.

She quickly moved away from her and turned around, her trembling hand found an arrow and nocking it in her bow as she lifted it. The shadow was a few feet from her, taking Henry with it. That thing had killed her daughter; it wasn't taking her grandson, too. It had to be killed.

She pursed her lips in anger and frowned, her hands were still trembling, but she didn't hesitate. She let out a breath and released the arrow.

Again, her aim was true and hit Peter Pan's shadow's heel.

The shadow hissed, as its grip on Henry was lost. The boy fell to the sand, unharmed. Snow had no strength. She fell to her knees in the sand, knowing that Henry was now safe. The shadow continued screaming, and began to descend and descend until Snow couldn't see it anymore. It fell into the sea and she knew it would never come back.

"Grandma!" Henry ran to her.

She felt like she was going to faint right there, but even so, her arms opened to receive her grandson just in time. Henry knelt in front of her, resting his chubby, wet cheek against her chest, clutching his arms around her. Snow closed her eyes and clutched the little boy to her, resting her chin on his head and kissing the top. He began to cry, and she couldn't help but feel her world collapsing again.

"I'm so sorry, Grandma. It's my fault... I'm sorry..."

He was shaking and sobbing, and she could let him do that. She was his _mother_, and she was her _baby_. And she was gone. But it was not his fault at all. "It's not your fault..." was all Snow could muster, despite her voice hoarse and broken.

"Yes, it is... I'm sorry. She was trying to protect me, and..."

She took his arm and led him away from Emma, lowering her head to his level to stare at his eyes. A lump pierced her throat again, unable to speak. Henry's eyes were the same as Emma's. They were turning red, surely from cring so much. She knew the feeling.

"It was not your fault. She – she..." She could not say the word; she couldn't think of her daughter in past tense. "She saved you, Henry. She would do it as often as necessary. I would have done the same; just as you would for your loved ones... who did this is no longer here. And it's not gonna take you from us again."

She brought her hands to his face, trying to wipe the tears that were rolling down his cheeks, but it was in vain. "I don't care if the shadow takes me again... I lost her."

_I lost her._

Those 3 words began to flood her mind as Henry walked away from her and then going through her side like a knife. She began to hear his cry again, but his voice was still in her head.

_I lost her._

They were the same words, yet it was her own voice now. She'd lost her. She had lost her once, but she came back to her, but this time, there was no coming back. She did nothing to stop her. She was too late and she lost her. She _really _lost her daughter.

Snow turned around, seeing Henry sitting next to Emma, looking at her with a blank stare, but the tears were still flowing. She swallowed hard and approached them, sitting on the other side of Emma. Her hand came up slowly to her face, caressing her cheek with the back of her fingers. She lowered her gaze upon her entire body, seeing how still she was, her face still peaceful. She was lying in the sand. She couldn't stay that way or she would be cold.

Snow moved closer to her and took her into her lap; she was heavier, but she didn't care. Emma's head began to rest between her arm and her chest. Her green eyes found her face again, and she couldn't help but open her mouth and let out a choked sob.

"I'm so sorry, Emma. I'm sorry..." She muttered between her sobs. Her face came to Emma's and she pressed her lips to her forehead, feeling her skin was still warm, but it seemed to be getting colder. "You will always be my baby." Her face pressed against Emma's as her eyes closed, pressing another kiss to her cheek. "Sleep well, sweetheart."

She lifted her head but she clutched her daughter's body to hers, as Henry approached them. He held Snow's hand but leaned back a little on the sand, resting his head on Emma's stomach and wrapping his arms around her waist.

He was still crying, Snow knew. He wouldn't stop doing it and she wouldn't either. She wasn't sobbing anymore; tears were running down her face, silently. She knew that the same was happening to Henry. But she couldn't comfort anyone at the moment, she didn't have the strength to speak or even cry out in pain, even though she was feeling that it was the most painful thing she had to live through.

She's had to go through different pains. Her parents' deaths, Regina's hatred, having a broken heart, having to send her baby girl away, waking up and seeing that she'd missed everything about her daughter's life, Johanna's death, killing Cora and manipulating Regina… having to live with the guilt of everything that her daughter suffered because she was alone in the world.

As Snow set her eyes upon Emma's face again, she knew that nothing could be compared to the pain she was feeling. Her beautiful, perfect daughter was gone. She was dead.

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**I'd love to see your thoughts!**


	2. Can you hear heaven cry?

**Hi! First of all, thank you very much for your reviews of the first part. I'm sorry it was so sad, this one it may be as sad too, but the first one was the saddest. Now here I leave part two, and I just decided that it's gonna have four parts, so are two more to leave. Hope you all like this one, and I'm curious about your thoughts at the end of this part!**

**Thank you very much to _Mere-Brennan_ to still be my Beta for this story.**

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_Cover my eyes, cover my ears,_

_tell me these words are a lie,_

_it can't be true, that I'm losing you,_

_the sun cannot fall from the sky._

David touched his chest for the tenth time in less than five minutes. Something strange was happening, and with each passing second it grew. He couldn't afford to slow down.

David and Gold were the first to make their way back to the ship. Minutes later they were joined by Regina and Hook. After a long waiting period with no sight of Snow or Emma, David decided to go in search of them by himself. A lengthy argument immediately ensued and eventually it was agreed that the four of them would go together. The plan was that Regina and Gold would investigate the jungle while David and Hook searched for Emma and Snow.

Shortly into their journey, David began to have a slight but sharp pain in his chest. It was a familiar pain that he had felt once before when he was locked in the Evil Queen's castle and Snow had bitten the poisoned apple. He was trying to ignore the nagging feeling that his family was in danger. He couldn't bear the thought of his daughter or wife being seriously hurt, of him not being there to protect them. He had already missed so much of his daughter's life that it plagued him when he wasn't there to take care of her, regardless of her age and insistence that she can take care of herself.

David stopped suddenly when he saw a fire in the distance. After pondering what it could be for a few seconds, he frowned and walked faster, going ahead to the rest of the group.

"Wait! It could be the lost boys..." Hook's voice said behind him, but David ignored him, his feet not wanting to stop.

Finally, he came out of the jungle and found himself at the shore. His heart stopped when he saw the view in front of him; Henry was lying on someone, and his eyes seemed to be closed, as if he were asleep. He took a few steps and raised his gaze from Henry, seeing his wife beside him, but Snow was looking down. The smile that had appeared at the sight of his family instantly faded when he realized who was in her arms.

"Emma!" He cried, running as fast as he could towards them.

"Henry!" He heard Regina's voice behind him, but Henry didn't move.

David ran faster than he ever had before until he fell on his knees in front of his wife and daughter. Emma's eyes were closed, her head resting on her mother's arm, and Snow was clinging to her. He lifted his gaze to Snow, trying to find some answers, but Snow's gaze was lost in her daughter's face, her cheeks full of tears. He lowered his gaze to his daughter again, noticing how white she was. A lump formed in his throat as his eyes dropped to Emma's chest; she wasn't breathing.

"She wanted you to know..." David looked up to Henry, noticing how red his eyes were from crying. His lip trembled, and David knew he was trying to hold back the tears. "…that she got her happy ending, when we were all together." His voice broke on the last words, and David turned his gaze to Emma again as Regina tried to comfort Henry.

David blinked and felt the tears begin to stream down his cheek. His brow furrowed as he lifted a hand and gently stroked his daughter's hair. He was prepared to see his wife or daughter injured, but he was not ready for this. Not this. He could have never been ready for this.

He began to remember the day she was born. His beautiful, perfect baby girl who had slept through the battles he faced while trying to get her to safety before the curse was enacted. He remembered how amazed he was that someone so small could bring him such great happiness. He thought about the overwhelming feeling of joy that he had when he felt her move in Snow's belly for the first time. Emma and Snow were what he had always dreamed of; his very own beautiful and perfect family.

They were supposed to live happily ever after; it was never supposed to end this way. How had things gone so wrong?

David moved closer to Snow, sitting next to her, and she moved closer to him with their daughter in her arms. He wrapped his arms around her, let out a sob, putting his face to Emma's face and pressing his lips to her smooth, cold forehead.

Snow closed her eyes and pressed her lips together to hold in the scream that was inside of her. She couldn't bring herself to look David in the eyes. She had failed him. She had failed their family when she couldn't save her daughter. When Regina and Snow had gone to investigate in the jungle, and David and Emma had gone in a different direction, she and David shared a look that was a silent promise that he would keep Emma safe. When she and Emma had decided to go together, they made the same silent promise; Snow promised him that she would bring their daughter back safely, but she didn't.

"Can't you bring her back?" Snow moved her head to see Henry desperately pleading with Regina, "Please, she sacrificed herself for me! Please, Mom! Please try."

Snow looked quickly to Regina, though she already knew the answer. Regina looked at her son sadly, and Snow could see the tears built up in her eyes. "I'm sorry, Henry. I – I can't."

Hook was looking at the sand, and Gold had a sad gaze fixed on Emma. "It wasn't supposed to be this way."

"She sacrificed herself for Henry?" Regina asked, her arms around her son. Snow stared blankly up at her, unable to find words.

"We found a way to get back to Storybrooke," Regina told them.

No. No. How was she supposed to go home without Emma? She wasn't going to return to Storybrooke now. Her train of thought was interrupted by some familiar sounds. Small people started flying around all of them, muttering things.

Fairies.

The group turned their attention to the fairies. As the fairies began to murmur around the others, Snow clutched her arms around her daughter's body, as David kept his hand on Emma's head.

"No!" Henry shouted suddenly, and Snow moved her eyes to him, seeing him walking away from Regina quickly. "No!" He repeated, now running toward them. He sat at her side and clung to his mother's body as he had earlier. "We can't leave her!"

Snow's eyes widened. "What?" Leaving her daughter behind was one thing that Snow could never do, no matter if she... no matter _what_ condition she was in, she could never leave her daughter behind. She had already missed out on so much of her life, and now she had lost her forever and there was nothing she could do to change that, but she was NOT going to leave her here. "What?!" This time she raised her voice, her eyes focused on Regina's.

Regina kept her eyes on Snow, but said nothing as she turned away to look at Emma. Instead, it was Gold who spoke. "What dies in Neverland, remains in Neverland."

David, Henry and Snow all clung tighter to Emma's body. Snow slowly started to process what this meant; they had found a way back to Storybrooke, but Emma would have to stay in Neverland.

She had no desire to speak, but she knew what she had to say. "Then you can go."

She stared at Hook, Gold, and Regina, who were looking at each other in silence. She knew that Regina would want to stay with Henry, and if she wanted to take her grandson from them, then she would have to go back to a fight with her. Though it wasn't fair to Henry; he would have to remain always as a kid, because if Gold decided to leave, or Hook, then they would have no other way to get back to Storybrooke.

All but one of the fairies began to fly away. Tinkerbell began flying around them, and then just around Regina. Though she was a fairy, she was a special one, and her voice could be heard clearly by everyone.

"You know the rules, Regina, as do the two of you," Tinkerbell said, looking at Gold and Hook. "She can't leave the island, she sacrificed herself for a child and died here, therefore she belongs here."

"She belongs to us!" Snow intervened quickly, earning the fairy's attention. "You can't decide where my daughter belongs. She belongs with her family."

"I am afraid that the rules cannot be broken." The fairy said, flying closer to her. "She can't leave, and you can't stay. None of you."

Snow felt rage building up inside of her; the idea that she was going to be separated from her daughter again was breaking her heart. "No. I'm not leaving her," she said firmly.

"I'm sorry, but you'll have to."

David placed his free hand on her arm and squeezed it slightly. "If she can't come to our home, then we're staying with her. We are her parents."

Tinkerbell shook her head and flew a little further from them. "You can't understand now, but it's something that has to happen." She turned her head to Regina, Hook and Gold. "You know it has to be this way."

"She's right." Regina said, walking one step closer to them. "We have to go."

"Mom, no!" Henry sat up straight, his eyes widening in despair. "No, we can't leave her! She's my mom! She's family!"

Regina shook her head weakly, tears threatening to come out from her eyes. "I'm sorry, Henry. I really am." She moved one of her hands, and for the first time, Snow moved away from Emma. She hurriedly tried to grab Henry, but she was too late. He ascended into the air and started moving toward Regina.

"Regina!" Snow and David shouted, and David stood up and drew his sword. Henry reached Regina, and she dropped her hand. Henry held his arms at his sides, tried to move like he were caught somehow. Snow looked at her husband and wondered where he was getting his strength. "Let him go!" He yelled at Regina.

Regina raised her hand again and moved Henry even closer to her, then quickly wrapped her arms around him. "Mom, let me go!"

"Do it now, Gold!"

Gold pulled something from the pocket of his jacket, and Snow's eyes widened when she recognized the small object. It was a magic bean; they knew that there was a bean on this island, but they had been unable to find its location. They were going to open a portal and Regina was taking Henry with them.

"What if Emma comes with us?" Snow asked quickly, before Gold could throw the beans to the ground.

Tinkerbell flew around her. "She can't! She will appear on the other side of the island. She can't leave."

"I'm not leaving my daughter!" Snow said at the verge of the tears again. She had already cried so much that she was sure there were no tears left. She had already let her die; she couldn't leave her behind.

"Regina, let him go!" David said with his sword raised, walking a few steps toward them as Regina backed away, holding Henry close.

"It's time, Crocodile." Hook said, moving away from him. Gold glanced at him and threw the magic bean to the sand in front of them.

_"Take care of him," _Emma's voice echoed in her mind.

Snow looked down at her daughter's peaceful face. Her lip began to tremble as she approached her face to hers. "I love you, Emma." She kissed her forehead lightly, and slowly moved away from her daughter, leaving her lying in the sand. She quickly drew her bow and arrow and began to place an arrow on her quiver.

"Regina!" Snow exclaimed. Regina turned around, Henry moving in her arms. "Let him go, now!"

"Mom, please!" Henry cried, trying to free himself from Regina's grip.

Snow could see the anguish and despair in Regina's eyes, as if she were apologizing in advance. But her arms clung to Henry and she said. "Gold!"

"I know, dearie." Gold said, and raised his hands, and before Snow could react, David was raised in the air and pushed into the portal.

"David!" Snow cried out, her eyes desperate. Hook jumped after David, and Regina and Gold exchanged glances. "No, you can't..."

Gold moved his gaze to her, and shook his head slightly. "I'm sorry, dearie. It's just something that has to happen."

Snow's eyes widened at the realization of what was going to happen next. She raised her bow, but it was in vain, suddenly her muscles tensed and the bow fell from her hands, as her feet began to leave the sand. She was being raised in the air, and she was going to be pushed to the portal. "No!"

"Grandma!" Henry shouted, trying to move in Regina's arms and having no success.

The only thing on Snow's mind was the person who was lying behind her, in the sand, as if she were asleep. She couldn't leave her little girl here, alone. Snow began to move her body desperately, as if she could be stronger than Gold's magic.

"Emma..." Her arms began to move toward her, as if she had hopes of getting to her, and Snow panicked like never before as she began to move further away from her baby girl. "No! Emma!" She cried out as she suddenly found herself in the portal.

Snow closed her eyes and began to feel her stomach turning. Her daughter was trapped in Neverland, alone. She shouldn't be going back to Storybrooke, she didn't feel right about leaving Emma. She needed to get back to her. She would never be able to feel at home if her daughter wasn't there.

Suddenly, Snow felt something under her, on her back. She was lying on one side; her journey through the portal had come to an end. Without opening her eyes she reached out and felt something wet, like wet earth. Or maybe sand? Her eyes opened quickly and she saw that trees surrounded her. Maybe she was in the jungle. She had to be in the jungle, she had to still be in Neverland! Now she had to find Emma.

"Snow!" David shouted from somewhere. Snow got up and frantically looked around her trying to find him. Hook was getting up from the ground, and David was running toward her. She quickly ran to him and enveloped herself in his arms.

Her eyes were inspecting the place, thinking that maybe the three of them ended up in a different part of Neverland. When David moved away from her, she looked around her, and then she saw it: the Storybrooke well.

"Grandpa!" Snow moved her gaze to her right, watching Henry running towards them, Regina and Gold getting up behind him. Her grandson came to them and wrapped his arms around her husband, as Snow stared at them in shock. David hugged Henry back, but kept his gaze on her.

Snow lifted her gaze to him, completely lost. "We are not in... Neverland." She said in a voice that could barely be heard.

David's eyes quickly filled with tears, and Henry looked up at her, still hugging his grandfather. "Snow..." David whispered.

"No, no. We..." She said moving away from them, her eyes filling up with tear. "There must be a way. The well... the well can restore what was once lost, we have to get her back!"

"She can't leave Neverland." Hook said near them, in a low voice.

David took Henry's hand and moved him away from Hook. He took a few steps toward Snow, and stretched his hand to take hers, but she walked back quickly.

"David, our daughter is there alone! We have to bring her back!"

"Snow, we're gonna find a way, but..."

"No, we can't waste time. Emma... she's – she's waiting for us. We..." Her gaze moved away, and she saw Regina and Gold just meters from her, watching her sadly. "You left my daughter there! I will kill you!" Before she could run to them, David wrapped his arms around her, holding her tightly. She began kicking and trying to free herself from her husband's grip. "Let me go! They left our daughter there!"

Regina took a step toward them, her hands raised in surrender, "I did what I had to do. I am..."

"You're not sorry! You're never going to even go near Henry! Stay away from me and my family! I trusted you!"

Regina's eyes filled with sadness, but Snow didn't notice the sadness. She was blind with rage, wanting to make Regina pay for making her leave her daughter. She trusted her, Emma trusted her, they had saved her life from the Lost Boys. She owed her life to Emma, and to her, yet she forced her to leave her daughter behind. She knew she couldn't really do anything to Regina or Gold, no matter how much she may have wanted to, they were too powerful. She could, however, do everything she could to keep them from Henry.

"Henry..." Regina murmured, approaching a few steps to him. But the boy stepped back, shaking his head slightly.

"I never want to see you again. We trusted you. _I_ trusted you. I thought you'd changed, but... you're still just the Evil Queen who only thinks of herself."

"I had to do what I did in Neverland. I hope you can forgive me one day." Regina said, tears beginning to slide down her cheeks as she turned around and started walking away from them. Gold continued watching them, sadly, shaking his head from side to side, slowly.

"You will understand in time." He turned and started walking away, too, but in the opposite direction of Regina.

Hook just looked at them as he walked away in the same direction as Regina. As soon as everyone was out of their view, David released his grip on Snow. Henry clung to him again, and though Snow had her back to them, she could hear her grandson begin to sob again and it broke her heart.

Her eyes closed as tears began to fall from her cheeks, and her knees began to weaken, so she had no strength to hold herself upright. She fell to her knees, letting out a loud scream that she had been holding in accompanied by uncontrollable tears. After a few seconds David and Henry came and hugged her and the three of them cried together over the loss of Emma. They were home, and yet they weren't.

Snow closed her eyes and clung to David, still listening to her grandson's crying, still feeling her husband's tears fall on her head. Still feeling her heart break more and more with each passing second.

Emma had been Henry's hope of having a happy family. Emma had been hers and David's hope of having a happy family. They couldn't be a happy family without hope, and they just lost it.


	3. She's everywhere I go, everyone I see

**Hey everyone! Well thank you so much for your reviews, it makes my day reading all of them, seriously! I know this story is sad, but maybe this is going to change a little in this chapter. The next one is the last one, so I'm anxious to see what you think of this part! :)**

**I didn't tell the song I used in the chapter two, so it's _'Tears Of An Angel - Ryan Dan'_, and this part's got the song: _'The Memory - Mayday Parade.'_**

**And of course thank you very much to my beta _Mere-Brennan_!**

* * *

_Now spring has brought the rain,_

_But I still see your face,_

_And I can not escape the past_

_Creeping up inside,_

_Reminding me that _

_I can never bring you back._

Snow suddenly woke up and stared at the ceiling. She sighed and moved her head slowly, watching her husband sleep beside her. She turned her gaze to the window, watching little sunlight make it's way into the room. At least this time she had woken up after the sun had started to rise. It was progress, for her and for her family. It seemed that every night at least one of them would wake up in the middle of the night. Last night was quiet. If Henry had awoken from a nightmare, she would have heard his screams. No matter how tired she was, Henry's cries always managed to wake her. She was always going to go comfort her grandson. Sometimes both she and David were with him.

Snow was startled to hear Henry's cry. She eased out of bed quickly, but first looked at her husband. He had been very busy the night before, so she let him rest. Henry screamed again, and Snow walked quickly out of the room, closing the door carefully behind her.

As always, Henry was sitting on his bed; his hair disheveled and tears on his cheeks. It had been almost five months since they returned from Neverland, yet the nightmares were constant. They all dreamed the same thing, always trying to save Emma to no avail. Snow sighed and walked over to her grandson's bed, sitting beside him, each clinging to one another.

"It's okay. It was just a nightmare." She whispered into his brown hair.

"No, it was a memory."

Snow sighed and rubbed her grandson's upper arm, not sure what was worse: nightmares or memories. The first few weeks that they had returned she couldn't even close her eyes. The first night she slept, she had horrible nightmares about Emma. Memories of her daughter dying in front of her eyes haunted her every night. She knew that it was the same with Henry. He had been there with her. Yes, the first few weeks had been very difficult for them. Snow and David decided they had to make things better for Henry's sake.

The first step was to move out. None of them could stand to be in that small apartment, remembering all the things that they did there with Emma. It took them a month to realize that, so David bought a house far away from the apartment. It was a beautiful house; Henry loved it at first sight. It had five bedrooms, two bathrooms, a large kitchen, a beautiful living room, and even a game room. It was a large house, but somehow still cozy for the three of them.

"It's already morning. Do you want to make breakfast with me?"

Henry looked up at her with tears in his eyes. "What about Gramps?"

Snow smiled. "He's still asleep. He came home late from the station last night."

Henry nodded slightly. "Okay."

Snow smiled and stood up as Henry got up on the other side. It was Sunday, so he didn't have school. They would probably spend the whole day together, and with David if he didn't have to go to the station. Yesterday it was Henry's day with Neal. It was wonderful that Henry still had one of his parents in his life. She was grateful for that. When they made it back to Storybrooke, they found that Neal wasn't dead. That he had been in the EnchantedForest and wanted to go to Neverland for him and Emma. Thankfully, he ended up in Storybrooke. As Henry walked down the stairs in front of her, she sighed, remembering when Neal found out about Emma's death. It broke his heart; he was depressed for weeks, blaming himself for not being there for her. Then David had a talk with him, and he began to regroup and spend more time with Henry. He understood that they all had to move on for Henry.

"I can make French toast." Henry said, pulling her from her thoughts.

She smiled at him and nodded. "Sure, and take out the chocolate powder, please. I'll make us some cocoa."

Henry smiled and walked over to the cabinet. Snow approached the counter to prepare the cocoas as Henry began to tell her what he and Neal had done the previous day. She was happy that at least Henry could unwind from his nightmares with ease. It impressed her that she could listen and hang on to every word he spoke while she was completely focused on other tasks.

It had been five months since she really started learning how to raise a child. When they discovered Neal was still alive, she and David decided to talk to Henry about living arrangements. They told him that they wouldn't be upset with him if he wanted to go live with his father. She really didn't want to be separated from her grandson, but she knew she had to do the right thing. Henry said he wanted to live with them while still spending time with his father. Neal was perfectly understanding about his decision and she had to admit, she was happy with that. Henry and David was all she had left.

A jolt in her stomach made her flinch and place a hand on it. Henry was quick to rush to her side. "Is everything okay?"

"Yeah," She smiled slightly and nodded. "Just the usual."

Henry laughed lightly. "I can't wait to meet him!"

Snow smiled back, and he returned to his duties making French toast. She looked down at her swollen tummy. Sometimes she forgot that she was pregnant. She knew it was wrong, but she couldn't help it. She found out that she was pregnant just two months after they had returned from Neverland. She was still completely shattered over Emma and she didn't want to even think about another child. She was completely mad and sad with life itself. Life had never been fair to her; taking everything she loved from her.

She wasn't herself the first few months after Emma's death. Henry was the only person she was actually friendly to. She ignored her friends, who just wanted to help her. She didn't spend much time with David, and if she did, she just spoke dryly to him. When they found out about her pregnancy, David had been completely happy, while she had been quite angry with him for not thinking of Emma.

After a month of learning that she was pregnant, Snow began to accept it. The anger left and worry took its place. She had been afraid that something bad might happen to this child, as well. That this child would be taken from her just as Emma was. No matter how many times David tried to comfort her, she always ended up crying because she just knew that her child was destined to be separated from her. She knew she was going to be a bad mother to him or her as she was with Emma. Last month, when she had reached four months, Henry managed to get to her.

_"Grams, one time she told me that you are the mother she always dreamed of. She told me you are a good mother despite everything that had happened. Even though you were the same age. And now_I_know that you are. You're a good mom, this baby is very lucky."_

It had been one month since her grandson's words, and in that same month, she felt the baby moving inside her. She cried, but this time from happiness. She understood now. Emma would always be her daughter, her little girl. Every time David and Henry talked about the baby, she couldn't help but just smile slightly. It was still painful to watch her belly grow and remember when her stomach grew twenty-nine years ago. She still couldn't get over Emma's death, and that was interfering with her feelings about her new baby, and she knew it, but she couldn't help it.

"Morning, Gramps." Henry said, and she turned around, holding two cups of cocoa and cinnamon. David greeted Henry as always, stirring his hair. He walked over to her, placing a soft kiss on her lips.

"Hey," She smiled and walked over to the table, setting the mugs down.

David went to the pantry to help with breakfast. "How's everything this morning?"

"The baby kicked again!" Henry said excitedly, sitting in front of his mug. David looked at her, and she smiled slightly, nodding.

"Is he still moving?" He left the box of cereal on the table and walked over to her, placing his hands on her stomach. He crouched a bit and Snow felt a lump in her throat as she often did when he did this. "Hey buddy, can you move for Daddy?"

Henry's laughter was heard in the room, and Snow moved her gaze to him, watching him sip his cocoa. "I think he's going to be Mama's boy."

Henry and David were convinced that the baby would be a boy. She hoped so too. They'd had consultations and ultrasounds, but Snow wasn't sure she wanted to know the sex of the baby yet. Though, she did feel the baby would be a boy, but she couldn't tell if it was because she actually felt it, or if it was her desire that it wasn't a girl.

Henry was the first to conclude that it would be a boy. She could remember when they told him about the baby. He didn't seem to show much emotion about the news, but as the weeks passed, they noticed that Henry had become more distant with them. One day, when David was at the sheriff's station, Snow thought it strange how Henry hadn't come down from his room yet. She opened his door and found him packing his clothes. It took her a minute after watching to ask him what he was doing.

_"I know I have to go. Now you guys are going to have a baby. I have to go with my dad, I know. You will be able to be a family again."_

Her heart broke at that, and she instantly felt angry. Not with Henry, but with herself and David. She didn't pay much attention to her pregnancy, but David was always talking about the baby, and that surely had bothered to Henry. She quickly made him understand that he wouldn't be going anywhere unless he chose to do so. Just because the baby was coming, didn't mean he was being replaced.

_"But you are going to have a new kid and..."_

_Snow took his face in her hands and stared into his eyes. "Henry, it changes nothing. You're our grandson. You're one of the most important things that I have left now, and that will not change. Not now, not ever."_

Since then, Henry began to become increasingly anxious about the baby, saying that he was going to teach him so many things, like fairy tales, and fight with swords. Snow could imagine her grandson and her unborn child like brothers. She smiled at the thought.

* * *

It had been eight months since they left Neverland. Snow never stopped thinking about that; she knew she had to return one day for her daughter. She was still waiting for them. Her little brother had the right to know her, at least have a place where he could visit his sister.

She still didn't know the baby's sex, but she could now say, with confidence, that it was going to be a boy. They had even bought many things for boys, blue baby clothes, toys for boys, and his crib was blue. Now she was walking the streets of Storybrooke, with David on one side and Henry on the other. They were going to buy a stroller. Even though Ruby had insisted on wanting to buy it, Snow had convinced her that she wanted to buy it herself. Ruby didn't protest, no one did. No one was opposed to anything she wanted to do for the baby.

She stopped suddenly, causing David and Henry to stop as well. "David, I need chocolate."

Henry quickly shifted his hopeful gaze to his grandfather. "Can I have one too?"

"Well, okay. Wait here." David said before crossing the street and going into Granny's.

Snow smirked at her grandson. "You're not too old for candy?" She knew he wasn't, he wasn't yet twelve, but his birthday was coming up.

Henry smiled and shrugged. "Well, you're way older than me, Grams."

Snow chuckled and ruffled his hair. "Hey, it's not me, it's the baby."

Henry laughed back until his gaze moved to behind her, and his smile faded. She frowned and turned around. Her eyes widened, seeing Regina walking toward them, but her eyes quickly changed full of anger.

She hadn't seen her in months. In fact, no one had seen her in months, not since they came back. She moved closer to Henry and took his hand, as he gently squeezed it.

Regina walked the last few steps to them, stopping in front of Snow. "It's been a while..." She looked down at her stomach and then her eyes moved to Henry. "Since the last time we've talked."

"What do you want, Regina?" Snow didn't hesitate to spit.

Regina lifted her gaze to her, and sighed. "I've come back for my son." Snow's eyes widened a little and Henry moved closer to her, squeezing her hand tighter. "Fear not, I just want to say that I want to spend some time with him."

"That's something we'll have to talk to him about, it's not up to you or me."

Regina took a step closer to them, her eyes on her son. "Henry?"

Snow felt her blood rushing in her veins with more speed, remembering what this woman had done. Remembering the day that Regina and Gold made her leave her daughter behind, was the same day that she forgot all the good things about her stepmother. Former stepmother. "He's going to have to think about this."

"I am his mother." Regina was quick to fight back. "Just because you're Emma's..."

Snow approached her furiously and Regina walked a step back, realizing her mistake. "Don't you dare say her name. You have no right."

Henry took her hand again and brought her back slowly. "Please, Grams, let's go."

Snow and Regina stared at each other, but then the younger woman nodded slightly and squeezed her grandson's hand. "Yeah, let's go."

She turned around with Henry and both of them walked to Granny's. It was a good thing that she was pregnant and that Henry was with her, otherwise she would have punched Regina in the face just for speaking her daughter's name. How dare she? She knew she had to at least try to be okay with Regina for Henry's sake, but it was so hard. She could tell that he was worried about her for the first months that she had gone into hiding, but he never said anything.

That night they talked to Henry, and he admitted that he missed his mother, but he didn't want to live with her. He just wanted to spend some time with her. The next day, David called Regina, and told her that she would be able to spend time with Henry, but in public, and as long as he could be there to watch them. Regina was opposed to it at first, but she eventually accepted the offer.

* * *

Another month passed, and Snow sighed looking at herself in the mirror; her belly seemed like it could explode any moment. Everything was ready for when the baby would come, though _she_ wasn't still ready. Snow sat on her bed and looked down at her belly, wondering if she could ever get over what had happened to her daughter. Emma was taken from her when she was a newborn, and she was scared that the same thing could happen to this baby. But she still had time, she was going to sessions with Archie, she was trying to work it out. She knew that this child deserved a good mother.

"Ohhhhh." She groaned, taking her hands at her stomach, bending a little bit at the feel of a sharp pain. She opened her eyes and saw water between her feet on the floor. Another stab crossed through her uterus, and she let out a cry of pain, remembering_ that_ pain. The baby was coming.

"We're home!" David shouted from the first floor.

"David!" She cried desperately. She couldn't remember it being that painful. In seconds, David was in the room, and Henry just stood in the doorway.

"What? What's wrong?"

"The baby..." She took his arm and squeezed it hard as another contraction hit her. "Is coming!"

Then everything happened very fast. They had already planned what they should do; so David took her in his arms quickly, Henry ran nervously to the baby's nursery, taking the bag that was ready to go. When he reached the corridor again, his grandfather was walking down the stairs with his grandmother screaming in pain.

Snow struggled to contain the screams threatening to come out as David drove as fast as he could to the hospital. Henry sat in between them, anxious, not knowing what to do. Snow was breathing heavily and her hands were gripping the door, her jaw clenching with each contraction.

"Henry?" She breathed out.

Henry looked at her nervously. "Yeah?"

"Can you count every minute that I scream?"

"Uh, yes, yes." He said quickly taking his grandfather's phone and watching the time on it.

Snow let out a scream as another contraction started; She needed to know how far apart her contractions were.

"How long, Henry?"

"Uhm, two minutes."

Her eyes widened and she looked at David quickly. "Two?! We have to hurry!"

Snow was taken to a room almost immediately when they arrived at the hospital. David sat next to Henry in the lobby and waited for Neal to arrive; David had called Neal to come sit with Henry in the lobby while he was in the delivery room with Snow.

Henry began fidgeting nervously with his hands. "Is it supposed to hurt her this much?"

"Don't worry, Henry. In a little while we will get to meet your new uncle and your grandma will forget all about the pain she's feeling right now."

"I know, but I wish that she didn't have to feel so much pain."

"Yes, but it's worth it," David said with a smile.

Neal arrived quickly and David thanked him and made his way to Snow's room. He found her sitting in her bed, crying.

"Snow..." David sighed, taking her hand in his. "It's going to be okay."

"I can't do this." Snow said between sobs, shaking her head. "I can't have another baby."

"Yes you can. Listen to me..."

"Snow, David," Dr. Black said walking to Snow's bed. "It's time."

David smiled, already feeling tears in his eyes at the thought of meeting his son. But Snow just shook her head and continued to sob.

"I can't, I need my daughter!"

"Snow, you can't keep doing this to yourself. We all miss Emma, and we always will, but we have each other and we need to focus on our future. Emma wouldn't want us to be miserable; she would want us to move on with our lives. Henry needs us, and so does our son. The best way we can honor Emma's memory is by making sure that Henry is taken care of and knows that he is loved. I know this isn't how we dreamed it, but we have another opportunity at a family, and we have to take it. Now let's bring our son into the world so we can start telling him all about his brave big sister."

Snow closed her eyes, unable to stop the tears falling from her eyes. She felt another swift contraction and she knew it was time; she had to push. She felt David kissing her hand, and in the distance she heard the doctors yelling for her to continue pushing and telling her how great she was doing. She concentrated on pushing, for Henry, for David, for _both _of her babies.

She used all of her strength for one final push and lay back on the pillows stacked behind her. Her breathing was short and labored and her eyes remained closed. She felt her husband's grip tighten on her hand as the beautiful sound of a baby's cry filled the room. She opened her eyes and saw the doctor wrapping her newborn in a towel.

"It's a boy." Dr. Black said gently holding the newborn in his arms. "A healthy, beautiful baby boy."

Snow sat up as the doctor came toward them with their son. He handed her the baby and the infant's cries seemed to stop almost instantly.

Snow looked down at the baby in her arms. Her baby. Her son. He had fine black hair, Snow's chin and David's nose, and although his crying was breaking, he seemed not to want to open his eyes yet. She kissed him softly on his forehead.

"I love you _so_ much my baby boy." She whispered, and it was as if he knew who she was by the sound of her voice. He began to curl up in her arms, opening his eyes and moving his hands around.

She looked at David who was staring at their son, tears on his cheeks and a big smile on his face. He looked at her as well and didn't hesitate to kiss her lips. "You did it."

She smiled. "We did it."

David kissed her once more before looking back at their son. He leaned over and kissed the baby's head gently. "He's perfect."

She stared at her son, trying not to compare him to Emma. He looked so much like her when she was a baby; the only real difference was the hair color. She was instantly transported to the day she had Emma, to her looking up at Snow just as her son was doing now. Now she could think of Emma, but just that she wished to have her daughter waiting out of the room, and then she could come in to meet her brother. For both of them to meet each other. But Snow was sure that Emma was now somewhere watching them and getting to meet her little brother.

Dr. Black came to them. "We have to clean him and check his weight and height."

Snow looked at him, her eyes showing the panic that began to invade her at the thought of someone taking her baby away. David seemed to notice this and placed a hand on her back. "It's okay; I'll be right beside him."

Her husband had once again comforted Snow and she smiled slightly and nodded, her gaze returning to her newborn son in her arms. "I'll be here waiting for you." She brought him closer to her and kissed his little nose, then let the doctor take him.

After what seemed like an eternity, David returned to the room with their son in his arms, the doctor following close behind. Snow looked emotional as her husband was holding their son. Memories of Emma's birth were still in her mind, she couldn't help it. They had just a few minutes with their daughter, and then they had to let her go. She knew they weren't going to have to let go their son, but the fear was still there. And it was something that wasn't going to be easy to put aside. Her heart was still broken and she knew that it was always going to be that way, for missing her daughter's life, for the loss of her daughter. But as her eyes returned to her husband and son, she smiled slightly, knowing that her family would help her heal her heart. They had to help each other, and that they were going to do.

David passed the baby back to his mother and told Snow that he was going to bring in Henry.

Snow smiled and nodded as he left to get their grandson. She lowered her gaze to her son and was happy to see his eyes open; they were big and curious. He was inspecting the room, but then he fixed his gaze on her. "Hey baby boy, I'm your Mom. You don't know how happy I am to meet you." As if he could already understand her words, his lips curled into a small grin, that Snow wanted to imagine was a small smile.

The door opened, and Snow looked up to see David walking in with his hands on Henry's shoulders, Neal behind them. They had gotten so much closer with Henry over these past months, and for that she was grateful.

Henry slowly walked up to her, his eyes never leaving the new baby in her arms.

She waited until he stood at her side. "Hi, sweetheart."

Henry blinked and looked up to her. "Are you okay?"

Snow nodded quickly, seeing the concern in his eyes. She didn't realize during the time of pain, but her screams must have scared him. "I'm wonderful," she reassured him with a warm, genuine smile.

He looked back to the baby, furrowing his brow. "He's so small."

David laughed quietly, sitting across from her. "He is, but when he grows you'll teach him everything you know."

Henry smiled slightly and Snow couldn't help but smile too. "Do you want to hold him?"

Henry looked at her, his eyes widening in surprise. "Can I?"

"Of course! Sit right here." Snow moved slightly, leaving a small space for her grandson. Henry sat at her side, a little nervous. "Now hold out your arms." Henry did as he was told and Snow gently placed her son in his arms.

"Uh." Henry said awkwardly, accommodating the baby in his arms, as Snow still had a hand on the baby's head, just in case. "He's very light."

Snow smiled and looked at her husband, who had a big smile on his face, and then her gaze turned to Neal. He had tears in his eyes and Snow thought that it might be because he never had the chance to hold Henry the way that he was holding his new uncle now.

"Congratulations," he managed to get out.

"Thank you, Neal."

"So, Henry?" Both Snow and Henry looked at David. "Have you decided?"

Henry bit his lip and lowered his gaze to the baby, nodding slightly. He looked back at his grandparents and said, "I was thinking maybe…Noah?"

Snow smiled. It was a beautiful name. And as Henry said it, the baby made a little noise and curled up to his nephew. When they found out about the pregnancy, after Henry was comfortable with it, they promised him that he could name the baby.

"It's beautiful." Said Snow, and David nodded in agreement.

Her husband laughed lightly. "Noah Nolan. It's good."

Snow smiled and nodded. "Noah Emmett Nolan."

David moved his eyes to her quickly. "Emmett?" They had talked about the name but they had been at odds, Snow objecting that the baby was not going to be Emma's replacement. "You sure?"

"Yes, I am. He deserves to have something of his big sister's."

Henry smiled and looked down at Noah. "I'm Henry, I'm... your nephew, but I'll be like your big brother. I'll tell you everything you need to know, and all the stories I know." Snow smiled at her son's eyes focused on Henry, as if he was listening to him intently. "Our family is a little broken, but it's good. Your parents are awesome and your –" His mouth closed, and Snow placed a hand on his back, knowing what he was about to say. "Your sister was the Savior, and just like her you are also the product of True Love, so you have to feel pretty special." And then a smile slowly spread across his face. "And if someday you get lost, you don't have to worry, because we always find each other."


	4. I'm going back to the start

**Hi! Thank you for all the reviews of the last chapter. Talking about last chapters, here it is the one of this story. Part fourth, and the last part. So I'm very excited to know what you all think about this _- long -_ chapter. I had this last idea along of all the story, it's been always planned this way and I hope you like the story! :)**

**The song of this part is _'The Call - Regina Spektor'_. **

**Now I'll leave. Thank you for who reviewed, read, favorited or followed this story!**

* * *

_I'll come back,_

_when you call me,_

_no need to say goodbye._

Snow smiled watching her grandson and husband playing in front of her. It was Henry's birthday; he finally had become twelve. Almost all the guests were gone, except for Regina and Neal. They were talking away from her, clearly because Neal – as everyone – knew she didn't want to be any near of Regina. Much less her son. She was sitting on a bench, her two months old son in her arms. Luckily for her, Noah had been quiet all the day.

It was strange because her son was always restless. She could remember the first week they took him home; almost none of them could sleep in those days. There were many nights when she had gone into panic because she could not calm Noah's tears, as there were many times when she cried with him because she just couldn't stand not being able to stop his suffering, or whatever he had, because she couldn't even find out. But as the days passed, and weeks, she learned how to calm him, as Charming, and even Henry did.

"Mom, look what I can do!" Snow looked up to see Regina smiling at him, as Henry did a little trick with his sword to David's sword. She smiled as her eyes went down to feel her baby boy moving in her arms.

Noah loved to hear their voices; Henry's, David's and hers. He would always smile to hear them, especially Henry's voice. It was amazing how much they had become close. Henry was as much as he could with him; telling him things that happened in the day, or stories he knew. And Noah was always attentive at his words. And not to mention when David came home, and then both he and Henry told stories to him, making even the scenes. She had laughed at it many times, as even her son did.

She couldn't believe that at some point she thought that this would be awful to go through. Her son had come to give more light to her life, although her thoughts about Emma didn't leave. She still blamed herself for everything that Emma suffered in her life; because she was not with them now. She cried herself to sleep because her daughter wasn't there to see her little brother grow day by day, to see the moments that he and Henry shared. There was one day, not an hour, that she didn't think in Emma. She knew that she was going to see her again one day. She needed to get back to her.

"Hey Grams..." Henry ran to her and stood before her, his mouth moving nervously. Snow knew he was going to ask her something weird. "Uhm, can I ask you something?"

But she smiled anyway; she couldn't deny him anything in his day. "Yeah?"

"Uhm... my dad's going to stay for dinner. I was thinking if… my mom could stay too?"

Snow couldn't help changing her face. She didn't want to, but it was automatic. This was Henry's birthday; his second birthday with them. She wanted to give him everything he wanted on this day, because besides being his birthday, this was a birthday without his mother. Henry had awakened very sad, and as the day went on, his mood improved, but the pain was still in his eyes. When he finished blowing out the candles, she went to hug him, and as she had him in her arms, her heart broke at his words.

_"I wish my mom could be here."_

She had allowed Regina to come to his party. She was his mother, too. But she stayed away from her all the time, not just because she was still totally mad with her, but also because she didn't want her son to be near her. She knew that Regina wasn't going to get her baby, but yet she couldn't forget that she was the cause for her daughter to grow up away from her, and that she had to leave her behind in Neverland. Snow was not going to take any chance of Regina getting near her son.

But as her gaze returned to Henry, she could see his eyes full of hope. He wanted them to sort out their problems, but Snow didn't want to have any contact with her other than through David, and of course, because of Henry. Yet, she had to accept that Henry loved her, and on this day he wasn't having his mother, Emma, with him. He deserved to have Regina as much as he wanted.

Snow smiled and nodded slightly. "She can stay for dinner."

Henry grinned widely; the first real smile she saw in his face on this day. "Thank you, Grandma!"

He hugged her carefully because of the baby in the middle of them, but Snow got to wrap him with one arm. She kissed his cheek as he walked away from her, running with joy to her parents. And her eyes immediately filled with tears, as often happened when she saw Henry with both Regina and Neal. Because Emma had to be there with them, too.

"Hey..." David sat at her side, his gaze dropping to their son. "You've been a good boy today." He came to his face and kissed his little nose. "Did you see when..." But when he looked up, he noticed Snow's eye still on Henry and his parents. He knew what was on her mind right now. "Snow..."

"I know." She said, never taking her eyes from them. "I just... can't help it. Even when I'm alone with him..." She looked down; her son was moving his hands up, a small smile on his lips and his eyes shining. "I just wish she could be here, then we would be a perfect family."

David sighed and nodded slightly, wrapping an arm around her hip. "I know. I wish the same thing, every day. But we have to concentrate on what we have now, two beautiful boys to raise..."

A tear escaped from Snow's eye. "While our girl is still alone in Neverland..."

"We're going to go for her. The fairies are doing everything they can to help us." He smiled slightly and placed his other hand on his son's head. "We're going to bring her to her home, and so he will meet his sister."

Little Noah made a small noise to the last word. It was as if he knew that his sister was someone special for everyone, because he was always attentive to that word, or to _Emma_. Snow could tell he enjoyed most of all stories about Emma, Henry kept telling about her. He knew she was his sister, now he had to meet her. Someway.

* * *

A month later, Snow suddenly awoke to feel something strange. She frowned and looked at the window, noting that it was already morning. She slowly sat up in bed; David soundly sleeping at her side, and she narrowed her eyes, trying to hear any sound from any room, maybe Noah's crying or Henry's screams... but nothing was heard. But Snow was sure she had woken up because of something.

But she sighed and figured she already knew the answer. Today was a year since they left Neverland; the first anniversary of Emma's death. Maybe she just felt that the day had come, and that had awakened her. Strangely, she hadn't had any nightmares about Emma that night. In fact, she didn't remember what she had dreamed.

Suddenly, Snow felt the ground shake, as her hands gripped the sheets that were on her. She frowned; there were no earthquakes in Maine. Less in Storybrooke.

"David?" She murmured, slowly stretching a hand to her husband's shoulder. But as soon as she touched his shoulder, the ground began to tremble sharply, as the entire house.

David suddenly woke before Snow could scream for him. "What..." He quickly sat up and watched as the roof, walls and floor were shaking. It was their son's crying that made them react. "Go get Noah!" He jumped out of bed as Snow did, both of them running out of the room; she to Noah's nursery and David to Henry's room.

Snow came quickly to her son's nursery. Noah was crying in his crib; stretching his arms up, his face becoming red because of much effort he was making. Snow quickly took his baby blanket and wrapped him in it, lifting him up. She cradled him in her arms and then approached him at her chest, hugging him against her as much as she could. She turned and hurried to get to the door, but her eyes fell on another baby blanket hung on the rocking chair in the corner. Snow ran to the chair, trying to maintain balance as the house was shaking, and took Emma's baby blanket.

Snow came to the hall where Henry was clinging to David, already with his backpack on his back and his face totally asleep, but scared as well. "Let's go." David said quickly, pointing in the direction of the stairs.

Henry and Snow clung to the railing of the stairs and began walking down step by step, carefully but as quickly as they could, and with David behind them in case any of them might slip. As soon as Henry reached the bottom step, he jumped to the ground but lost his balance, and fell to the ground.

"Henry!" Snow cried, but David quickly lifted him, almost running towards the door.

The three of them left the house, but even the porch was still shivering, so they didn't take any chance that the small roof may cover them. Snow clutched her three-months-old son to her chest, and David took Henry's hand to walk away from their home. But as soon as they got away from the porch and touched the cool grass, the shaking stopped. All of them stared at their house; which they could see that it was still shaking, but it wasn't where they were. Just their home was shaking, not the town.

Henry looked up to his grandparents, and saw the confusion in them as well. "What – what's happening?"

"It's time."

Snow frowned to hear Regina's voice behind them. They turned around, watching Regina standing just a few feet from them. Noah's crying stopped as Snow gently cradled him in her arms as she watched Regina walking to them.

"What's going on, Mom?"

Regina stopped in front of them. "I woke up because my house was shaking as well. And I think that Gold should be going through the same situation, and also Hook wherever he is."

"Wherever he is? I'm a little offended, my Queen."

Regina, as the others, moved their heads to see Hook walking to them, closer to Regina. "It was time." She said, shrugging.

Snow was startled to see a purple smoke appear near her; Gold appearing in the smoke. He frowned and looked at each of them before nodding slightly. "Now let's finish this."

Before she could speak, David did. "What the hell is happening here?"

"Well, your day came, dearie." But when Snow looked at him, she realized he was talking to _her_. "The day you were waiting. Time to go back."

"Back?" Snow said in a small voice. "To where?"

"Neverland." Regina said, and as Snow looked at her, she could see a small smile on her lips. "Time for you to come for Emma, Snow."

"What?" David spoke, his gaze shifting from Regina to Gold, and then Hook. "All of you said... she couldn't leave Neverland."

Hook took a step toward them. "A year has passed, mate. Now is different."

Regina sighed and crossed her arms. "Every month I've been… gone, it was because I was preparing a powerful… potion." She put her hand into a pocket of her jacket and pulled out a small bottle with bright blue liquid in it. "With this one of you will be able to return to Neverland and bring Emma to here."

Snow felt the hope to get to her, but the feeling went away quickly. "Why should I believe you? How do we know that that's not going to lead us anywhere and so then you're going to stay with Henry?"

"It's the truth." Regina said with sad eyes, her eyes looking down to Henry. "All I want is that Henry can be happy again."

Snow felt that her words were true, but still, she didn't trust in Regina anymore. "If we are going to bring Emma back here, that doesn't change the fact that..."

Regina sighed and opened her mouth again. "She may be _alive_."

If her son had not been in her arms, Snow could have fallen right there. Her breathing started getting faster, as her eyes were soon filled with water. She approached Noah to her body, trying to hold back tears. Her mouth opened but no words came out; a huge lump was in her throat.

Emma alive? That couldn't be true. She saw her dying in front of her eyes. She would know if her daughter was alive, and all this time, all those months, she knew that Emma wasn't alive. She had accepted it the first few months, she had been depressed, she didn't want to know anything about her pregnancy because she _knew_ that Emma was not going to come back.

"What –" Snow moved her gaze to David; tears in his eyes as well. "What are you saying?"

"How is that even possible?" Henry questioned. Snow saw his lower lip trembling and his hand clung to David's.

"Emma sacrificed for you, Henry." Gold said. "Tinkerbell forced us to go from Neverland for this to happen. Fairies would bring her back in a year, but just if she was the only adult on the island... because she sacrificed herself for her son; a child."

"The earthquake that all of us felt it was because we went to Neverland, and a year has passed since we left." Hook said, standing next to Regina. "This never happened to me after I leave Neverland, so we assume that the earthquake is that Emma woke up."

"You - you knew..." Snow stammered, her eyes fixed on Regina. "You knew it all along?"

"You would have gone for her." Regina said knowing what was on her mind, taking a step to them. "I never would have forced you to leave Neverland if I didn't know that that would mean that she could wake up. But I didn't tell you before because a year had to pass."

"You're telling the truth?" Henry said, taking a step to his mother. "My mom can actually be alive?"

Regina dropped her gaze to him and smiled slightly, nodding. "Most likely."

David came to Snow and wrapped one of his arms around her back, bringing her to him. Both of them closed their eyes and let the tears fall down. Snow opened her eyes as David kissed her temple, trying to verify that it wasn't a dream. She had dreamed many times with someone telling her that her daughter was alive. But this was not a dream. She had her baby boy in her arms, her husband at her side and her grandson in front of her. Regina, Gold and Hook were staring at them, waiting for an answer.

Snow cleared her throat. "What should we do?"

Regina looked at Henry, and then looked at her again. "Go to the docks."

* * *

Henry, Snow and David got dressed as fast as they could and they all headed for the docks. On the way, all that Snow could think about was Emma. She had Noah in her arms, and every time she looked at him, tears came out with more speed from her eyes. Her son was going to meet his sister somehow. If Emma really was alive, he was going to meet her, but if she wasn't, he was going to do it anyway. She herself was going to introduce her daughter to her son. All she wanted was Emma with them. But Emma, _alive_, with them? That was more than she could dream of. She didn't want to delude because Regina, Hook and Gold had explained that it was a possibility that Emma was alive; they didn't find another explanation to why Tinkerbell forced them to leave Neverland.

Fairies – good fairies – had a rule in Neverland. If someone sacrificed itself for a child, they would bring it back. As long as no adult was on the island. And Snow wanted to believe more than ever in the fairies' rules.

David stopped his truck and she went out quickly from it with her son in her arms. Henry got out behind her, and both of them with David, walked to the docks where Regina, Hook and Gold were already waiting for them. She clutched her baby to her body and stopped in front of them.

"What has to happen now?" David asked, wrapping an arm around Snow's shoulders and placing a hand on Henry's shoulder.

Regina walked near the ocean and pulled out the small bottle from her coat. "I'm going to throw this liquid to the water, and then one of you will have to jump on it. Then you will appear in Neverland. Once you get Emma, Tinkerbell will guide you to escape."

"Alright..." David said with a nod, letting out a long sigh. "Let's do this." He took a step to them, but Snow quickly took her arm.

"I will go."

David and Henry looked at her with wide eyes. "What?" David said, shaking his head. "No way, Snow. I'm going. You have to stay here with the boys."

"No, David. I'm going. It has to be me."

"Snow..." David said, she walked to him, extending her arms for him to take their son. "It has to be me..."

"Why? Because you think if it's a trap then I have to stay with our son and grandson? No. I'm going." A new lump formed in her throat as her eyes filled with tears. "I couldn't save her. I let her die. I had to protect her and I couldn't do it, I had to bring her back to you and I didn't. Now I'm going to do it. I'm going to bring our daughter back."

David stared into her eyes for seconds, and she knew he understood her words. She had to do this. She had been the one who had left their daughter behind; all of them did it, but she would have never have let Emma touched the shadow's hand. That moment was never gone from her mind; Emma trembling, her eyes growing white. Her last words. Her last breath. Now she was going to bring her home, dead or alive. She just hoped it was the second option.

"Okay..." David whispered and Snow carefully placed their son in his arms. " You – just be careful."

Snow nodded. "Yes." She leaned to his face and kissed his lips tightly. When she walked away, her gaze dropped to the baby who was watching them with joy. "You're going to meet your sister, baby boy. Emma." As always he heard her name, he smiled and moved his hands up. "I love you." She gently kissed his forehead and closed her eyes, feeling her husband's hand in hers. Her other hand was covered by a small hand, and she knew that it was Henry. Snow looked down and quickly was met with her grandson's arms in her hip. She wrapped an arm around him and clung more to David, wrapping an arm around him. "I'll come back, I promise." She kissed Henry's head and moved him away from her, watching his eyes already filled with tears. "And I'll bring her with me."

She sighed and walked back, watching them for the last time. Her boys and her husband. Very soon, if she really believed in Regina's words, her girl was going to be with them. She smiled to them and turned around, walking to Regina. Once beside her, Snow sighed, staring to the water.

"You could have told me."

Regina chuckled and shook her head. "You would have waited a year to go for her?"

Snow said nothing about it, she didn't know if she could have waited to go for her daughter. Regina was right about that. "Thank you."

Regina looked at her, her brow furrowing slightly. "For what?"

"For creating this potion." After all those months of bitterness and hatred for this woman, Snow looked at her, but with eyes full of hope. "You saved my life once again."

She really didn't save her life, but in someway, she did. And Snow knew that Regina had understood the meaning of her words as she nodded slightly. "Now let's do this."

Regina took the small cork from the bottle and moved closer to the edge of the pier. She turned the bottle, the bright blue liquid slipped into clear water, and became more brilliant as the liquid was spreading. Snow took a deep breath and moved her arms, ready to jump into it.

"Good luck."

Snow nodded and wasting no time, she jumped into the water. She began swimming into the deep, as Regina had told her she had to do. She kept her eyes closed, knowing that she had to focus on thinking about Emma. She had to concentrate on thinking about Neverland, and in that way, she would appear there. She swam more and more, until her eyes opened, and she looked up.

The sky seemed to be different. Snow began to swim up as fast as she could, feeling the desperation get to her to feel no more air into her lungs. When she came to the surface, her mouth opened instinctively, letting the air get into her body. She opened her eyes, but the vision was cloudy, so she removed some hair from her eyes and wiped them, watching the sky above her.

She was back in Neverland.

Emma. She had to get to Emma.

She started swimming quickly towards the nearest land she saw. Surely, the mermaids already knew she was in the water, so she had to rush her step. Luckily for her, the land wasn't far away. She swam quickly to it and smiled slightly as she felt ground under her feet. Snow crawled toward the sand and fell to her knees in it, breathing hard and regaining some energy.

"Snow White!" Snow looked up in alarm, but she was relieved when she saw Tinkerbell flying around her. "You're back!"

Her tranquility disappeared as she jumped on her feet, remembering why she was there. "Where is my daughter?"

Tinkerbell smiled slightly and as she opened her mouth, Snow heard boys' screams. "Get her!"

Snow quickly ran to the jungle, Tinkerbell flying near her. She hid behind a tree and peeked her head, noting that no boy was in sight. She couldn't face them here; no weapons and no one to watch her back.

"Why are they still evil?" Snow asked Tinkerbell with her eyes on the beach, expecting to see a boy running. "I killed Peter Pan! I killed his shadow!"

"Yeah, and they want to make you suffer at all costs for killing their leader." Tinkerbell said softly, looking in all directions. "They want to kill her to get back at you."

Snow's eyes quickly fixed on the fairy, and stared at her, trying to process her words. She did not refer to herself. She had said _'her'_. "Is it true?" Tears returned to her eyes as a small smile played on her lips. "Emma... is alive?"

Tinkerbell smiled and nodded. "Fairies and I kept her hidden in a cave, protected from the magic of the boys. And she sacrificed herself for a child; we had to bring her back. She's been asleep all this time... and we knew that when the year was completed, she would wake up."

Snow felt her heart beating fast. She tried to control the tears rolling down her cheeks, as another lump was forming in her throat, this time, of happiness. But she had heard the same from Regina, she had to see her herself. She had to get to her and so she would know it was true. That she was alive and she was not going to let her go again.

"Where is she?"

"She's escaped from the cave. I wasn't there when she woke up but there were some fairies. She didn't listen to them when they told her to say there, she said she had to get back to you. And she ran away. The boys are chasing her now."

"I need a weapon. Give me a weapon." Tinkerbell moved her wand and Snow quickly felt metal in her hands. She looked down and saw a sword in her right hand.

"I'm going to keep looking for Emma. If I find her before you do, I'll bring her to you."

Snow nodded and saw Tinkerbell flying away from her. She clutched her fingers to the handle of the sword and began walking quickly through the jungle to where she thought she heard the boys' screams. As she walked, she found a hood; clothing of the Lost Boys. She took the hood and put it on, knowing that if she was with one of them, she could distract them that way. Snow froze when she heard the boys' screams again.

"Over there!"

"Get her!"

"Run!"

Snow didn't have to think twice, she began to run through the jungle. They were after Emma, and if this time she had to kill a boy to get to her daughter, she would do it. She wouldn't let anything stand in her way. When she reached the end of the jungle, no one was there. So carefully, and as her fingers clutched to her sword, Snow walked slowly toward the beach.

"You!" Someone shouted behind her. Like she was thinking, she couldn't let anyone stand in her way. So her hand clutched to her sword and she lifted it, ready to turn around and attack whoever was behind her. "Stay still!" And an arrow flew by her arm. But Snow felt her heart stopped when she recognized _that_ voice.

"Emma." She murmured.

When she wanted to turn around a lot of boys ran to her, but as she thought, they didn't recognize her, just ran by her side, and Snow knew that they were going to Emma. She closed her eyes for a few seconds and decided not to look to any boy's face. This time, she was going to protect her daughter.

Someone screamed in pain, and Snow could recognize it was Emma. But she didn't turn around, now she had to stop all the boys she could. She moved her sword to one boy who wanted to run by her, and drove her sword into his shoulder. The boy cried out in pain, taking attention from the others.

"Who's this?" One of them shouted behind her.

"It's an impostor! Get him!"

It didn't matter to her. Now she had their attention, though surely some of them would still be on Emma, but she would have less of them to fight. But still, she wouldn't be poor due and surrender herself to them. She had to fight and get away with Emma, she had two boys waiting for her, and one of them was her baby boy. She had to fight to get out of there with Emma and get to their family. And she was going to do it.

Snow already knew that one boy was going to jump on her back, so she ducked before he could do so, and as she thought the boy fell into the sand. She hit his head with the handle of her sword and quickly dodged another sword that was going straight to her head. With a flick of her wrist, the boy's sword flew away and so she plunged her sword into his leg, regardless of his scream.

"Watch out!"

Snow instinctively dropped to the ground, taking another sword in her left hand. An arrow flew above her, surely a poisoned arrow. Snow got up quickly and continued to fight with four other boys; they were very fast, and she was trying to do the best she could do with two swords. She thrust a sword into a boy's leg, and the other in another boy's arm. She threw herself to another boy and hit his head, knocking him out. The last boy ran to her, but before he could get to her, she kicked his face, knocking him out as well.

She turned around and saw blond hair, but before she could see her daughter's face, about five boys rushed over Emma, and so Snow lost sight of her. "Emma!" She cried out desperately, started running to them.

When Snow was about to get to them, a blinding white light came from the center of boys along with a strong wind that threw Snow down. She covered her eyes with her arm and remained lying on the sand a few minutes, feeling the wind leaving slowly. Snow moved her arm from her eyes and looked up; no blinding light. She got up and turned around quickly, watching her daughter, alone, lying on the sand. Her eyes closed. Her chest wasn't going up nor down.

"Emma?" A whisper came from her mouth. She ran to her and knelt at her side, holding her body between her arms. It was as if she was in one of her nightmares; remembering when Emma was the same way, lying on the sand, her eyes closed, and a face full of peace. "Please, please, no, no." Tears started rolling down her cheeks, and a heart-rending sob escaped from her mouth. "I came back – for you. Please, don't do this to me, not again…"

Emma didn't move; didn't breathe either. Snow closed her eyes and clung to her, hugging her tightly. She just found her, she was alive, and once again she hadn't been able to protect her? This was her second chance, how many opportunities she would have with her daughter? And how many times she was going to miss them? Now no one would be able to bring her back. She couldn't even see her beautiful eyes again. How she was going to tell Henry and David that she let her die, again?

"You –" Snow opened her eyes, startled. She quickly moved away from Emma and saw her eyes open. She was looking at her. Emma was alive. "You came back for _me_."

Snow looked shocked to her face. She looked down to her chest; she was breathing. This was not a dream. She looked up again; there was a small smile on her daughter's face. She was seeing Emma's eyes and smile again. She had her baby girl in her arms, and she was alive. She was smiling.

She had her _back_.

"Emma..." Snow said, letting out another sob, this time with a smile on her lips. She clung to her, hugging her as much as she could. Soon she felt Emma's arms around her, and tears in her chest. She was crying as well. "I will always come back for you."

"I know." Emma whispered, her arms clinging to her. "I love you, Mama."

Snow grinned, lowering her head a little bit to kiss her forehead hard and grasping her arms around her. "I love you _so_ much, Emma. You have no idea _how_ much I – love you."

Snow kept her daughter clinging to her for a few minutes before she moved away from her to look at her face. It was full of tears, but she was smiling, her blue-green eyes shining. She never believed that she could return to see that beautiful face again.

"You don't know how much I've missed you."

Emma smiled a little more. "I've heard something." Snow frowned a little bit to that, curious. "A couple of fairies told me I had to stay in the cave and wait for someone from my family to come for me. But –"

"You didn't believe them." Snow ended, knowing full well that surely had happened. Her poor little girl didn't believe that her parents could come for her. Why would they do it if they hadn't done it before? "Emma," She said firmly. "I would go for you to the hell itself if I'd have to."

Suddenly, both of them started to hear things flying over them. Snow looked up, her arms instinctively clinging to Emma; she remembered when the fairies had come to them and then she had to leave Neverland without her daughter. And that wasn't happening again.

Tinkerbell flew around them. "It's time. Both of you have to go before the boys come back."

"What about you?" Emma said, sitting straight in the sand, forcing Snow to move a little bit from her, though her hands remained in Emma's hand.

"I'm fine here. I got friends." Tinkerbell said, looking back, to the other fairies flying behind her. "It's okay." She looked back at Emma and Snow. "But you have to get out of here."

Snow got up, helping Emma as well. Luckily for her, Emma did not seemed to bother that she was still taking her hand. "How?"

"There." Tinkerbell pointed behind them with her wand.

Snow and Emma turned around, and Snow chuckled to see the Jolly Roger again. "I think Hook will be happy."

"We don't have a magic bean or a way to open a portal..." Emma said, her gaze returning to Tinkerbell.

Tinkerbell smiled. "That leave it to us."

Tinkerbell moved her wand on them and suddenly Snow was found in the Jolly Roger, she quickly looked to her side; Emma was there, and their hands were still intertwined. Both of them walked to the edge of the ship and saw as all fairies were flying around them, and the Jolly Roger was being raised in the air. Snow looked with a smile to Emma, and saw her having the purest smile she had ever seen on her face. She was watching fascinated as fairies cast their fairy dust on them.

Tinkerbell flew near them. "Now you can go. This will get you to your home without problems."

Snow squeezed Emma's hand as she moved her gaze to her. "Home. We're going home, Emma."

* * *

Snow did not have time to tell her about Noah. The Jolly Roger was raised to the sky, to the stars, and so then, they entered into a kind of portal. She never let go of her hand, and then both of them appeared in Storybrooke. On the docks. They got down of the Jolly Roger and started walking towards where Snow knew she had been the last time with the others. Maybe they were still there. When they had returned from Neverland, everyone said that they were away for a few days, and the truth was that they had been away for weeks. There was no time in Neverland.

"Emma? There's something I have to tell you."

Emma looked at her, still walking and looking around in search of her family. Snow decided to let go of her hand when they came to Storybrooke, but she still couldn't distance herself far from her. "What is it?"

"It's... complicated. A year has passed since..." She sighed and shook her head slightly. "And two months after we got back..."

Emma stopped walking and looked at her, staring at her. Snow stood to her side, strange at her look. Then, Emma smiled slightly. "I know it. I don't know how, but I've been there." Snow frowned, totally confused. "When he was born."

Snow's eyes widened . "W – what?"

"I think that even though I was in another land, asleep, I could see some things from here. I could see Henry a few times, and you and David... I know how bad you were the first months. Then I saw you a couple of months, with a huge belly. I figured things out. And then I saw him when he was born, and when Henry held him for the first time. Then I never could see you again. Any of you."

"You – you know about your brother?" Snow asked, still totally confused.

"Yes... that's why I thought you weren't coming for me. Because you already have another child and **–**"

"I never forgot you, Emma." Snow said quickly, stretching her hand to take hers. "I even had a hard time trying to understand that Noah wasn't replacing you. You have no idea how much it broke me believe that you were..." She swallowed and sighed, knowing she was going to have to get over it some time. Now more than ever that she knew that that wasn't true. "dead."

"I – I know... I saw you a few times." Emma said, her own eyes filling with tears slowly. "I – I never thought that someone could be that way... for not having me."

Snow wanted to cry at her daughter's word; believing that no one ever could suffer because she wasn't there. Practically believing that she wasn't important enough to someone. "Now you do. I'm lost without you."

Holding back the tears, Emma nodded slightly, with a small smile. "Don't worry, I have no plans to go anywhere."

"You better don't." Snow laughed lightly, and let her hand go. Both of them continued walking, their eyes searching for their family.

"Thank you."

Snow looked at her, her brow furrowing. "For what?"

"Taking care of Henry. You guys were like his parents. Thanks."

"He has missed you as much as I did. We never thought we were going to be the sames... we thought our family would be broken forever." She stopped walking again, and make Emma stop as well, taking her hand. "Emma, you have to believe how important you are to us. These months without you... believing that we weren't going to see you again… we were broken. When your brother came..." She smiled as she realized she could actually say those words to Emma. "He brought us a little light but the pain never went away. You remember your last words to me? We were your happy ending." Emma nodded slightly, unable to hold more tears in her eyes. "You are _our_ happy ending."

It surprised her see Emma walking to her and wrapped her arms around her, but even though, she wasn't that surprised. She wasn't the same after that day they went from Neverland, and so Emma weren't going to be either. But now they were going to be together again, and that was all that mattered.

"Mom?"

Snow moved away from Emma to hear Henry's voice. Emma turned around and Snow smiled, tears returning to her eyes to see her grandson's face. He was shocked, standing a few feet from them. He was alone, but soon David came to Henry's right. With Noah in his arms. Then, Regina, Hook and Gold were there as well.

"Henry..." Emma murmured, and Snow moved her gaze to her daughter, tears already in her cheeks, and a smile on her face.

Snow looked to her grandson again. Henry was still shocked, as everyone else. But the tears began to form in his eyes, and that meant that he was reacting. "Mom..." He whispered again, taking a step to them. "You're here." Emma didn't move, just stared at him, but when she heard his words, she smiled. "You're real."

His words broke Snow's heart, but she couldn't help but smile broadly when Henry ran to them and threw himself into his mother's arms. Emma clung to him, and realized that he was still small enough to bury his face in her stomach. Both of them began to cry, though Snow could more easily hear Henry's crying. She wanted to hug them, but it was special moment between them. So she walked to the others, watching the shock on David's face.

She came to him, and smiled as he looked at her, tears beginning to fall slowly by his cheeks. "You did it."

"Yes... we have our daughter _back_."

He extended an arm and brought her to him, hugging her tightly as she looked back to her daughter and grandson. It was still shocking; she never thought she would be able to see them together again. Yet, there was one person missing the joy of the moment. So Snow slowly walked away from David and took their son.

She smiled at him, cradling Noah in her arms. "Go."

David smirked and started walking to Emma and Henry. She watched as her grandson moved away from Emma, and her daughter looked up, to her father. They looked at each other, though David had his back to her, she could imagine the tears all over his face, his smile to see their daughter again. It was Emma who threw herself into David's arms, as Henry was next to them, watching them with tears still rolling down his chubby cheeks.

Her son in her arms moved abruptly, moving his hands up in search of attention. Snow looked at him and smiled, leaning to kiss his forehead softly. "Now it will be your turn, baby. You're going to meet your sister."

Noah smirked, and curled up in her arms, as she looked up again. Emma was walking towards her, in the middle of David and Henry, her arms around Henry's shoulders but David keeping his arm around her shoulders. Her smile widened as Emma stood before her, her eyes looking down to the baby in her arms.

"Is that..."

"Yes, it's him." Snow said, taking a step to her. "He's anxious to meet you." She leaned over to Emma, and it took a second to Emma to understand what her mother would do.

"I never..."

"Now you'll do." Emma took a little break and extended her arms, letting her mother gently place her baby brother in her arms. "Uh oh." She said gently cradling the baby in her arms. "Uhm," Her eyes dropped to Noah and quickly the tears were back to her eyes, though she tried to keep them away. "He is – he's beautiful." She looked up to Snow, who already had her tears on her cheeks. Emma sighed trying to control her tears and looked down to Noah again. "So... I'm your big sister. I'm sorry it took time for us to meet." Noah began to move his hand up, and found Emma's hair to hold on with one hand, while the other clung to Emma's finger. She smiled when she saw a small smile on his lips. "I think he likes me."

"He already loves you." Snow said.

David moved to Snow, and wrapped his arm around her hip, as both of them watched their daughter holding their son, with their grandson beside them. It was something that they had believed impossible; dreaming almost every night with the day that Emma and Noah could meet somehow. But they never thought that their daughter would be actually able to hold her baby brother. It was like a dream coming true.

That night, they were in their home, after Emma investigated her new home; they sat in the living room. Emma seemed to fall in love with Noah every passing hour. Snow was sitting next to David on the couch, as Emma was sitting on the other couch with her little brother in her arms, and Henry sat next to her, telling her stories about Noah, to which Emma laughed, and that many times caused a small laugh from the baby.

Snow was curled to her husband, both of them looking fascinated as their baby girl was interacting with their baby boy. Snow knew then that nothing would be as before, because it would be even better.

Until yesterday, they were a beautiful, broken family. Now they had her daughter back, Henry had his mother back and Noah had his sister. And Emma had her family back. Now Snow could see her boys with her little girl. Now they were going to be a beautiful family.

Emma was back, and so their _hope_ to be a happy family again.


End file.
